Program Reviews

I have a lot of really kind things to say about the family who hosted me in my 4-month homestay. XMandarin Chinese Language School was able to hook me up with a homestay in Qingdao. Most studio apartments here want at least 6-months or 1 year of rent (sometimes up front) and since I wanted to take off and do some solo traveling for a few months before I started University I didn't want to have to pay for 6-months when I would only use 4, and 4 months is a long time to be staying in a hotel-style accommodation. I was skeptical about the homestay at first because my Chinese level was very very basic and I was worried about feeling alone and isolated. The family, especially 奶奶, made me feel at home with her cooking. Even if I had a long day of studying, working my online job, or just having a rough day, she could tell and without saying anything she would just give me a small bowl of food. Dumplings, corn, yams, or whatever. Sometimes I wasn't hungry so I hid the food in my room until I was so she wouldn't feel bad. Sometimes we had our communication and cultural issues. But I will miss them and will continue to stay on WeChat to check the family updates.

As a German student from Rhode Island College, I came to China mostly focused on improving my Mandarin and experiencing a new culture. I never imagined I’d leave with a new hobby. I already have too many. And now I have 2 badminton rackets in my suitcase.

My classes at XMandarin were small, lively, and supportive. The teachers were patient with my grammar struggles. I went to almost every activity the school organized. During one event, a group of friends I’d met—along with one of the interns working at XMandarin—invited me to play badminton with them. I had seen people play before, but I never thought it was something I would enjoy. I was so wrong.

That first evening turned into a weekly ritual. Every Wednesday night we played indoors. On warm weekends, we played outside at a nearby park, and in the summer months we even took our rackets to the beach. Playing badminton became the highlight of my week and made me feel fully at home in Qingdao.

If I had to suggest improvements, maybe more weekend excursions would have been nice, especially to explore more hidden parts of the city. But overall, the experience was incredible.

I can’t wait to teach my family in Germany over Christmas. Hopefully they will like it as much as I do. If not, I'll have to go back to Qingdao.

I had so many questions before applying. Would I make friends? Would the classes be too difficult? What would my daily life look like and would I like it? I went into the exchange to Qingdao very nervous, expecting to get weird looks on the street. Now, I am trying to figure out a way to come back after I graduate for an internship.

From the first week, I met friends who shared my curiosity and passions—people who loved late-night study sessions, café exploring, and spontaneous weekend trips to take the train to surrounding cities in the province or even some flights to cities like Chengdu, Xi'an, and Guangzhou.

The staff at XMandarin Chinese Language School in Qingdao always checked on me to make sure I was comfortable. I met some other Japanese people who helped me navigate homesickness and find some restaurants that served my comfort foods. Even though some of the staff at XMandarin spoke Japanese, and if I really needed to be able to communicate in Japanese they would, they always spoke Chinese or English and that really helped me improve.

Through the weekend events I was able to make friends and I left Qingdao feeling braver, more independent, and surrounded by friends I know I’ll have for life. If you’re considering studying abroad, I genuinely recommend this program.

I am very glad that I chose to study at XMandarin Chengdu. After the 6 months that I studied the group classes my Chinese has greatly improved. Also I would like to thank the school for supporting me with the whole visa process, it went very smoothly.

Uppon arriving in Chengdu they also picked me up from the airport and helped me find an accomodation, this really made my life easy and convenient. Because it was my first time in China I needed this help.

The events they organised were also great! I had a lot of fun and made plenty of friends during my stay in Chengdu.

Highly recommend!

I attended classes at XMandarin Chinese Language School from March 2025 to August 2025. You can choose between one-on-one lessons and group classes, allowing you to select the option that best suits you.

I took one-on-one lessons, and since the teachers tailored the lessons to my level, I was able to study Chinese efficiently. All the teachers speak English well, so even complete beginners can learn from the very start.

Beyond classes, cultural activities exploring Chinese traditions were held several times a month, allowing me to gain deeper insights into China. I participated in learning Chinese calligraphy and Sichuan opera. If you have the opportunity to study Chinese in Chengdu, I highly recommend this language school. With instruction from highly capable teachers, you can significantly improve your Chinese proficiency.

A really nice school, with very kind and helpful people. I enjoyed my time staying there. I also went on fun events and enjoyed them. I got connected to fun people and made new friends to hang out with or meet up for different fun activities.
The city is very nice to explore with lots of exciting places to visit. The beaches are beautiful and it's a very convenient city to live in. There's big malls with lots of new stores to explore. And many delicious restaurants.

I really enjoyed studying and being here.

Just over a month in to learning at XMandarin and I have 0 complaints.

All the teachers and staff members have been very supportive, helpful and understanding. The classes are concise, fun and great at building Mandarin knowledge rapidly. The sense of community is also great. During breaks and after class, everyone gathers around and has great conversations. The teacher leading our class has great English, a playful sense of humour and understands how to teach a class well. If anyone is considering learning Mandarin in Chengdu, I would not look past XMandarin!

I came to XMandarin Qingdao super scared and very unconfident. Before I even started lessons I was assisted with accommodation, my VISA, and how to order Chinese dumplings (because when I got off he plane I was very hungry.)

Now I feel like I was given the best tools from native teachers to converse comfortably!

I felt like my success was actually supported and even though I was in a class with other people, the lessons still felt like private lessons because the dynamic in the class was very open and welcoming.

Studying at XMandarin in Chengdu was a very good experience in general. The teachers at the school really helped me a lot in and outside of the classroom, they showed me Chengdu, brought me to amazing places to experience the culture and were a great friend to have during my stay here.

My Chinese also has improved a lot during my stay with the school, I focussed on improving my speaking and listening skills and I feel really happy about the progress I made.

When I am back in Chengdu next time I will join the classes again for sure!

After taking a short break, I’m back at XMandarin for another semester, it still feels like great. One thing I’ve always appreciated about the school is how personalized the classes are. This time around, I wanted to focus more on conversational Mandarin and some business-related vocabulary, and my teacher adjusted the lessons according to this. They’re super flexible and really listen to what you want to achieve. I definitely saw improvement during my last semester, especially with speaking and listening.

Outside the classroom, the school also has a really great community with people from all over the world to connect with.

If you're thinking about learning Mandarin and want a school that’s professional, welcoming, and fun, XMandarin is a fantastic choice.